The National Speech & Debate Association is proud to announce Richard Whitrock as its newest diamond coach. Coach Whitrock received a First Diamond Award after earning 1,810 points, this past April.

A diamond award recognizes a professional career that combines excellence and longevity. The Association provides diamond awards based on coach points received. Coaches receive one-tenth the points earned by their students and one-tenth of the points earned as a student member of the Association. After a minimum of five years as a National Speech & Debate Association member, a coach who attains 1,500 points is awarded a first diamond; he or she receives a second diamond for 3,000 points, a third for 6,000 points, and so on. Five years must pass between each diamond award.

On June 19, 2014, Coach Whitrock will receive special recognition at the National Speech & Debate Tournament in Overland Park, Kansas. Each year,the tournament draws more than 5,000 students, coaches, and parents from across the nation. The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) has placed the tournament on the NASSP National Advisory List of Contests and Activities since the origination of the list.

Speech & Debate Association is the largest interscholastic speech and debate organization serving middle school, high school, and collegiate students in the United States. The Association provides competitive speech and debate activities, high-­quality resources, comprehensive training, scholarship opportunities, and advanced recognition to more than 130,000 students and coaches every year. For nearly 90 years, the National Speech & Debate Association has empowered more than 1.4 million members to become engaged citizens, skilled professionals, and honorable leaders in our society. For more information, visit www.speechanddebate.org.